It's A Home Run, Charlie Brown!
Charlie Brown stood at the plate. He stared at Peppermint Patty standing on the mound. Who knew how many times she had struck him out. He shivered as Patty went into the wind up. The pitch came flying in. Charlie Brown swung and missed. "Strike One!" shouted the umpire "Boo!!!!" bellowed Charlie Brown's team Charlie Brown straightened his cap and took a swing Patty received the ball and wound up and threw again "Strike Two!" shouted the umpire "Aaugh!!!" cried Charlie Brown's team "C'mon you blockhead," shouted Lucy, "Hit a home run." Charlie Brown gulped and looked at Patty. She wound up and threw again. Charlie Brown swung with all his might. Suddenly a bell was ringing. He opened his eyes. He was lying in bed. The alarm clock was ringing. It was only a dream. Charlie Brown yawned and rubbed his eyes. He sat up in bed. "Good Grief that dream again," he sighed, "will I ever win a game?" Charlie Brown washed and dressed still thinking about the dream. He sat at the kitchen table and ate his cereal. "Big Brother!," came Sally's shout, "We're going to be at the game today." "What game?" asked Charlie Brown "Don't you know silly," said Sally, "Your team is playing Peppermint Patty's today." "Good Grief. I forgot" "Big Brother you must be a glutton for punishment. You always lose. Why do you keep playing?" Charlie Brown didn't have an answer to that question. Ten minutes later he was walking to the baseball field. As he neared the diamond, doubts and visions of losing again entered his head. He heard Sally's voice asking why he kept playing. He heard Lucy's bellow "Why don't you quit, you blockhead!" He saw visions of line drives undressing him and Lucy always missing catches. As he neared the diamond, a thought occurred to him, Run, it said, Turn and Run. Charlie Brown was about to follow this thought when suddenly, "Hi Chuck!" Charlie Brown turned around and saw Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Franklin and the rest of the team there. "Charlie Brown where have you been?" asked Linus, "It's game time." "Rats.", thought Lucy, "I was sure he wasn't gonna show up." Charlie Brown was frozen in place. His voice was gone. Peppermint Patty answered for him. "He's just thinking about how we're gonna stomp you guys again." Immediately Charlie Brown found his voice, "Not this time." Everybodys mouth dropped open. They couldn't believe what Charlie Brown had said. "What did you say Chuck?" growled Patty her cheeks red with fire "He said not this time, sir" said Marcie "I heard him Marcie!" shouted Patty. She gave Charlie Brown a withering look. "Alright Chuck, you asked for it. There will be no mercy. Now get to the mound and prepare to be destroyed!" Patty stomped away angrily. Charlie Brown headed to the mound unsteadily. "Good Grief", he thought, "what have I gotten myself into." Schoroder walked the ball to Charlie Brown. "Okay Charlie Brown, do your best and strike this guy out" Charlie Brown wound up and threw. To everybodys surprise the batter swung and missed. The next pitch was fouled off. Charlie Brown sighted the catchers sign and threw again. He saw the bat swing and braced for a line drive. But instead he heard "Strike Three, you're out. Charlie Brown looked up. "I struck him out!" he shouted. Peppermint Patty's eyeballs fell out of her head. The next two outs came quickly. "You just got lucky Chuck," she called we'll get you next inning." To everybody's surprise the next two innings went by quickly. Only Snoopy had a hit for Charlie Brown's team and Franklin's base hit was erased in a double play. With two outs in the top of the fourth, Peppermint Patty came up to bat. "Be careful Charlie Brown," Schroder warned, "she's a good hitter." "Throw it by her Charlie Brown!" shouted Lucy Peppermint Patty laughed. "C'mon Chuck put it over and I'll clobber it." Charlie Brown sighted the catcher's sign and threw. "CRACK" the bat hit the ball and a line drive came flying toward Charlie Brown. Before he could move, the ball knocked him off his feet. Spinning in the air, his shoes,socks, shirt,cap and glove went flying. He landed on the mound barefoot and bare-chested. The ball flew right into Snoopy's mouth. "You're Out!" said the umpire. "Whaaaaat!?!" cried Patty Charlie Brown sat up on the mound as Lucy, Linus and Violet came running up carrying his clothes. "Nice pitch Charlie Brown." they said. As Charlie Brown dressed he thought maybe today they would win. The innings just flew by. By the time the bottom of the ninth came around the score was only Peppermint Patty 3 and Charlie Brown 0. Patty got two quick outs but then things went wrong. Lucy walked, Linus was hit by a pitch, and Snoopy singled. The bases were loaded as Charlie Brown came up to bat. "Come on big brother!" cheered Sally. "Ha, this ought to be easy." laughed Patty. Suddenly she heard, "You can do it Charles!" She turned and saw Marcie cheering "Marcie, shut up!" Patty yelled. Patty wound up and threw. Charlie Brown swung and missed. He missed the second pitch. Once again the dream was in his head. Patty sighted the sign and threw. Charlie Brown swung, "CRACK" He couldn't believe it. He had gotten a hit. Everybody seemed frozen in time. In slo-motion Charlie Brown saw the ball start to fly. Peppermint Patty was so shocked that she didn't see the ball coming toward her. The line drive knocked her off her feet. Spinning in the air her flip-flops, shorts,shirt and glove went flying. Everybody but the umpire was looking at the now naked Patty lying on the mound. Marcie didn't even see the ball going over the fence. "Home Run!!!" shouted the umpire. "Hooray!!!!!", cheered Charlie Brown's team as he circled the bases. But just as he stepped on home plate a bell started ringing. Everything faded and Charlie Brown woke up.